Azure Eyes
by YuGiOh-Lover25
Summary: Haruka Nanase, a young MerPrince, is cursed to life as a human. Not understanding a word of the human language, he's found by a young man called Makoto, who can strangely understand him through his eyes. As Makoto and his friends try to find a way to return Haruka to the ocean, Haruka had no idea of the power hungry people after him, attempting to destroy the merkingdom. [MakoHaru]
1. Life from Sea to Shore

The difference between the merfolk and the humans is vastly different. Merfolk have double the life span of a human, merfolk have magical abilities that humans could only dream about. The most powerful of all the merfolk is the Merking. The Merking's power comes from his scepter and crown. The scepter has been passed down to every new king, as per the tradition. Hundreds of years ago, merfolk decided to show themselves to their land equivalents. At first, things went well. An alliance was formed and the Merking and the Human King became friends. However, as per all alliances, this could only last so long. The Human King passed away, leaving his son in power. However, his son was power hungry, and especially greedy. He immediately attacked the merfolk when he got the chance, forcing the alliance to be dissolved. This angered the Merking, and he took the remaining merfolk that had survived the attack, taking them deeper into the ocean to rebuild their home. They created a new kingdom, called Oceana, and lived in spite of the humans that had killed many of their brethren. The Merking outlawed all contact and talk about the surface and its dwellers. Of course, as per all civilizations, there were the few that broke the law, however there was no punishment for doing so. That was because all that did, never returned. The Merking passed on his rule to his son with the most magical power, and he ruled over the Merfolk in peace. He had six children. Four boys and two girls. The eldest was called Akihiko, the second eldest was called Hideaki, the third child was called Kasumi, the fourth child was called Daiki, the fifth was Nanami and the youngest was called Haruka.

Haruka had always been babied in his family, and by the community, and he resented that. He hated being pitied, he hated being helped, and he hated those that thought he couldn't do anything. His sister's especially babied him, they loved putting sea flowers in his hair and dressing him up, and all he could do was sit there and pout at them. His siblings and he shared different mothers, so they all looked different, except for Nanami. Nanami and Haruka were birthed by the same mermaid, so they shared the same hair and eye colour. Every mermaid had been raised with the folk tales of the humans, it had been drilled into their heads since they were little, and Haruka was no exception. And he cared nothing for the surface either. He could care less if something were to make all the land and land creatures disappear in an instant.

At this current point in time, he was laying against a rock, staring out into the ocean from his window. He sighed to himself, wondering if anything interesting was going to happen. Life was rather boring under the sea, but he wouldn't dare trade it for anything though. The water was all he knew, and he was too insecure to trade it for anything. A sudden weight rested on his arm and he looked out the corner of his eye to see long black hair on a feminine face that looked just like his. Matching blue eyes looked at him, a pout on the delicate face.

"Haru, I'm bored" Nanami whined, snuggling closer to her little brother. Haruka could only look back to where he was looking earlier, sighing again. He never let his siblings rest on him like this unless it was Nanami. Nanami was the only exception, he didn't really know why. Maybe because they shared the same mother? Or maybe because of her childish antics and charm? The pout on Nanami's face only grew from his quiet response. She flicked her blue tail in one strike and was suddenly in front of him, rolling on her back and slowly floating into his view.

"Boo, Haru, you're no fun! The palace is so boring this time of day!" Nanami complained, before her eyes widened and she shot forward, mere inches from Haruka's face.

"I know! Why don't we go explore the ocean depths? We might find some cool treasure!" Nanami exclaimed, noticing that Haruka barely moved. He was used to this a lot, but she was right. Her idea was ten times better than just sitting here, wasting such a good day. He sat up, seeing her eyes sparkle in anticipation.

"Sure, I'll go with you. I know you like collecting stuff" Haruka replied, sounding bored, but Nanami squealed in excitement, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly.

"Thank you Haru! You're the best! I'll meet you out front in a few minutes!" Nanami exclaimed, giving her tail a quick flick and practically darting out the room and into another area of the palace. Haruka sighed, gliding down to his mirror and adjusted the hair that had been messed up by Nanami, then began flicking his tail in a repetitive motion as he swam out the castle and waited out the front. It only took a few more seconds, but Nanami quickly darted out to meet him, swimming around him happily, giggling madly. Haruka gave her an unamused look, sighing as he snatched the bag off her shoulder and began swimming away. Nanami gasped, pouting at him, before swimming after him.

"Haru!" she called out, catching up to him. He glanced down at her, seeing the bright smile on her face. She was really happy to get to spend some time with him, that much was clear.

"So, you excited for today?" Nanami asked suddenly, twirling around Haruka and giggling.

"It's Hideaki's crowning ceremony, of course I'm excited for him" Haruka replied, giving Nanami a small smile back. Nanami's eyes widened, before she exclaimed happily, tackling him in a tight hug.

"You're so cute when you smile Haru! You should smile more often!" she babbled, rubbing her cheek against his as her grip tightened, but Haruka didn't mind. He still wore a bored expression though.

"I thought we were exploring?" Haruka asked, seeing Nanami pull away, looking shocked.

"Oh my gosh… You're right! Come on Haru! This way!" Nanami exclaimed, darting off quickly to lead them where they were going to search. She finally reached an old, broken ship that had sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Haruka's eyes widened at the sight, and as Nanami darted inside the ship to search, he couldn't help but slowly swim around the ship. He took in the sight of it, marveling at its size and grandeur. It was an impressive sight that was certain. He'd never seen a ship before. He knew what it was called, but heaven forbid, he'd never seen one. When he reached the front, his eyes widened at the size of the long, sharp plank of wood that stuck out the front of the ship. It looked similar to a sword, something his father had shown him. They had a sword hanging against the wall of the palace. His father explained that it was something humans used to fight each other. Humans used such weird and strange things, what was wrong with claws, teeth and magic? Oh wait, humans didn't have the stuff merfolk did. He forgot that humans couldn't use magic, and their teeth and nails were blunt. Such strange creatures, how did they eat and defend themselves from predators then? Perishing the thought, Haruka shook his head to clear it of all things human.

A sudden scream made his eyes widen as he quickly darted to the hole he'd seen Nanami enter. He scanned the area madly for her. All he could see was the inside of the ship. It was dark, cramped and had an unpleasant odor coming from it. He looked around, gripping the wood tightly in his hand.

"Nanami!" he shouted, worried about her. What had caused her to scream suddenly? Merfolk only had two enemies. One was jellyfish, the second was… sharks! Haruka frowned, quickly kicking off with his tail as he took off in a quick spurt, dashing into a room and gasping. Nanami was backed into a corner as what looked like a great white shark was closing in on her.

"Nanami!" he called out, kicking off again and turned, slapping his tail down on the shark. The shark snapped its teeth, turning to look at him as his eyes widened. He quickly turned, taking off again in a quick spurt as the shark did so too. It smacked into the wall of the ship, before turning and chasing after Haruka.

"Haru!" Nanami shouted in worry, swimming after the two of them slowly. She didn't want to attract the shark's attention, but she was really scared for her little brother. Haruka swam out the hole in the ship, seeing the shark follow, and began swimming as quickly as his tail could carry him through the open ocean. Nanami watched from the hole, looking at her brother with terrified, trembling eyes. Haruka could feel the shark on his trail, turning to glance behind him and had to refrain from freezing in terror. The shark's mouth was open, displaying rows and rows of razor sharp teeth. Haruka frowned, giving his tail another swift kick and changed directions, heading down. The shark couldn't stop in time, and swam forward more, giving Haruka time to do what he needed to.

Raising his hands forward, he closed his eyes as symbols appeared around his hands. His hair began moving around more as the water began to spin more violently around him. When he opened his eyes, the chain of letters and symbols was complete. He inhaled deeply.

"Unda Flatus!" he exclaimed and a beam of air and water shot out, flying through the water and hit the shark, batting it around. The shark was hit by several mini explosions and once the waters had calmed down, it zoomed off in a different direction. Haruka let out a sigh of relief, before he was suddenly tackled by Nanami in a death grip.

"Haru! That was amazing!" she exclaimed, giggling happily with tears in her eyes as she hugged him tightly, bawling into his shoulder. Haruka froze in shock, before he placed one hand on her shoulder, the other gently resting on the top of her head. This was the most affection he displayed, and it was only to Nanami. Nanami pulled away from the hug, making a quick recovery and tilted her head in a giggle.

"Lookie, lookie! I found some cool stuff we can add to the castle!" Nanami stated cheerfully, holding up several strange looking human objects. Haruka raised a brow silently in his confusion. They battled a shark and explored this dangerous area for those? One looked like a tiny trident, the other looked like a tiny scooper, and the third one looked like a mini sword.

"These are so weird, aren't they? I heard from Akihiko that they're called cutlery, humans use them to eat their food cause they don't use their fingers!" Nanami explained, making Haruka's eye brow rise even more. Humans refused to use their fingers to eat food? How lazy could they get? What a strange culture of beings.

"Anyway, it's getting close to the ceremony time! We have to hurry!" Nanami exclaimed, grabbing Haruka's wrist and pulling him along behind her as they hurried back to the castle. Haruka let himself be pulled along, sighing to himself as they entered the palace, seeing merfolk trying to set up the castle for the ceremony.

"There you two are! Come on! We have to get ready!" Kasumi scolded, stopping in front of Haruka and Nanami, hands on her hips as her long, golden blonde hair danced around in the water. Her green eyes filled with nothing but kindness though. Nanami darted behind Haruka, peering out behind him shyly.

"Boo, you're a meanie Kasumi!" Nanami pouted, sticking the tip of her tongue out at her. Kasumi frowned, puffing out her chest as she folded her arms over her chest.

"You were exploring the ocean floor again, weren't you? What would you do if a shark attacked you, or you couldn't make it to the ceremony?!" Kasumi exclaimed, watching as Nanami flinched at the mention of sharks. Kasumi raised a brow, before she gasped.

"You ran into a shark!? Are you both alright!? You're not harmed, are you!?" Kasumi exclaimed, grabbing Haruka and pulling him forward, examining him. When she was satisfied, she let him go and began examining Nanami. Haruka sighed, swimming off when he got the chance. He entered the ceremony hall, looking around with a bored expression at the room. His father hovered in the middle of the path, barking out orders to the merfolk who were swimming around and setting up the room. Hideaki was right next to their father, watching and learning as he would take over from their father one day. Haruka could care less about a position of power, or responsibility. All he wanted was to be free and live life as he pleased.

"Haruka!" called out a voice and Haruka turned, seeing Akihiko and Daiki swimming up to him. They placed a hand on either of his shoulders, resulting in a glare from Haruka, but they ignored it and continued blabbering on to him. He just sighed, tuning them out.

(Meanwhile)

"Have the preparations been made?" asked a middle aged man, turning to look at his companion in the room. This companion was a young woman, with long, waist length, dark purple hair, narrow lavender eyes, pale skin and a figure that was round in all the right places. The middle aged man was tall, very buff for his age, with a head of dark brown hair and turquoise coloured eyes.

"Yes Your Majesty. The spell is ready. Which should we choose? The eldest or the youngest?" the woman replied, hearing the King chuckle to himself.

"Let's choose the youngest. The youngest tends to get doted on a lot, so I think we'll get the best response from capturing him" the King responded, making the woman giggle manically.

"Very well, the youngest it is" she replied, stepping away and walking towards the huge cauldron that rested in the room. She waved her hands around, closing her eyes, as letters and symbols formed, warping around as the insides of the cauldron began to glow.

"Once Avalon curses the youngest, the Merking will fall into my hands at last" the King said to himself, chuckling as he clenched his hand into a fist, grinning in satisfaction.

"Veneficus ut servo sursum , quod veneficus ut restituo nos. Tribuo mihi vestri vox ut EGO dico super a negotium. Natu minimus Procer mos cado victor , tribuo him legs quod termino him applico. Locus a vomica ut EGO dico sicco meus nomen ut signum pactum. Avalon D'elair!" Avalon chanted, the symbols forming and joining as lines connected them, before shattering into a thousand sparkling particles. Avalon gasped, falling to her knees as she panted, sweat covering her forehead.

"Avalon? Did it work?" the King asked, walking up to her and grabbing under her arm, pulling her up to her feet. She panted a little, looking up at him with a weak smile.

"Yes, the curse is now in place. Now we wait for him to come to us" Avalon informed him, smirking as she saw the grin form on the King's face, before chuckling and laughter filled the room.

(Meanwhile)

"And with this crown, I now crown you, Prince Hideaki, the crowned Prince, who will take over after me. May you preserve and sustain us in the future to come" declared the Merking as he gently and slowly began placing the crown on Hideaki's head. Hideaki closed his eyes, leaning his head forward in a bow and just as the crown touched Hideaki's head, Haruka gasped suddenly. Something felt wrong, very wrong. No one seemed to notice his gasp though over the sound of all the merfolk screaming and cheering for Hideaki. Haruka grasped at his chest, looking down at his hands and gasped again, seeing the webbing between his hands beginning to recede in. Haruka's eyes trembled in terror as he felt an unbearable pain beginning to form in his tail. He turned to look at the exit of the palace, and darted out as quickly as he could. Nanami saw him leave quickly, and followed after him.

"Haru!" she yelled out once they were out the castle, and Haruka twirled around to face her. She raised a brow in confusion as she approached him, grabbing his shoulders gently.

"What's wrong Haru? Why'd you dart out like that?" Nanami asked, seeing the terror and panic on Haruka's face. A pain filled her stomach as she began to worry about Haruka.

"I don't know… but my tail hurts… there's an ache in my chest, and the webbing in his hands is getting smaller!" Haruka exclaimed, showing Nanami his hands. Nanami gasped, her face filled with horror. She gasped again as she noticed what was happening to the gills on Haruka's neck and ribcage.

"Your gills!" she exclaimed, pointing at his neck. Haruka looked down at the ones on his ribcage, freezing in horror as he realized they were closing over. Before he had time to react, Nanami grabbed him and began swimming up to the surface as quickly as she could. Haruka tried to inhale through his mouth, only to have his eyes open wide in pain as nothing but water entered his lungs. Pain shot through his body. His chest felt like it was being stabbed, his tail was hurting so badly it felt like it was being split into two.

After a minute, both Nanami's and Haruka's heads appeared over the surface. Haruka coughed and spluttered, clinging to Nanami tightly as a support. Nanami glanced over at him, brows raised in concern.

"Haru?" she asked, seeing him glance up at her. Haruka's gills had completely sealed up as if they'd never existed to begin with. A mark had formed on his chest. It looked like a red, spiral shaped tattoo. Nanami's eyes widened as she recognized the marking.

"You've been cursed Haru… Another mer has cursed you… I'm so sorry Haru… I can't undo the curse… I just can't… I'm not strong enough" Nanami apologized, hugging Haruka tightly to herself. Tears began streaming down her face. Haruka was just as terrified as she was, and when he attempted to kick his tail to help support them, his eyes widened as he felt his tail brush against his other tail. Wait, that wasn't right. He looked down, gasping to see he had two legs now. His tail was completely gone, as were the scales, and he had these weird shaped limbs now.

"You've been turned into a human… Haru… You can't stay with us anymore, you'll die if you try to go back into the water for too long" Nanami explained, seeing Haruka's eyes widen and shake in disbelief as her words settled in his brain. Her face was flooded with tears as she placed her webbed hands on his cheeks, making him look at her.

"I'm going to take you to the shore. Try and survive, please. I'm begging of you. I'll tell Father what's happened, and we'll come get you. I promise!" Nanami stated, seeing Haruka begin to calm down a little, before nodding. He gripped onto Nanami tightly as she began kicking her tail in swift motions and took them towards the giant thing in the distance, resting against the edge of the water.

When they finally reached the shore, Haruka used his hands to crawl onto the soft brown earth. The waves helped push him away from the water and to shallow water. He couldn't use his new limbs yet though, so he pulled himself up with a painful grunt.

"I'll be back soon Haru!" Nanami called out from where she was in the deeper water. She ducked under the water and swam away. Haruka panted as he crawled onto the sand further, before collapsing onto his chest, panting heavily. His eyes closed in exhaustion, his body shivering and covered in goose bumps as the air rushed over him, sending cold chills down his body.

"Eh? What in the…?" called out a voice, catching Haruka's attention as he opened an eye slowly, looking as the figure approaching him. The person knelt beside him, looking terrified and worried.

"Hey! Are you alright?" called out the male, but Haruka couldn't understand a word he was saying. Instead, he looked at the man weakly before his eyes closed and he slumped to the ground.

"Hey! Stay with me!" the man yelled, but Haruka's consciousness completely blacked out, leaving him in a limp, naked mess of blood and water on the shores of the beach. But the last thing he saw were worried, kind green eyes that reminded him of Kasumi.

**Translation notes.**

**The first thing Haruka says in Latin is 'Water Blast'**

**The second thing that Avalon says in Latin is 'Magic that keeps up, and magic that restores us. Grant me your power as I call upon a task. The youngest Prince will fall victim, give him legs and restrict him to land. Place a curse as I call out my name to seal the contract. Avalon D'elair.'**

**I apologise if the translation is not correct, I used an English to Latin translator, so that was the best I could do. But other than that, enjoy the first chapter.**


	2. Making Contact

Kasumi scanned the room, having spotted Haruka swim away, then Nanami follow. She frowned, waiting patiently for them to return. It'd been quite rude of them to leave during the middle of the ceremony like that. She hovered near the exit of the celebration hall, arms folded over her chest in annoyance. After minutes, her annoyance turned to worry. They should've been back by now. Just as she was about to swim out there to find them, Nanami swan inside, tears streaming down her cheeks. Kasumi gasped, dashing to her and grabbing her arm, forcing her to face her.

"Nanami! What on earth is the matter!? Where is Haruka!?" she exclaimed, seeing Nanami's blue eyes open wide to look at her. Nanami's face twisted into grief as she bit back a sob, gritting her teeth before throwing herself into Kasumi's arms.

"Oh Kasumi! It's terrible! Haru's been cursed! He's a human now!" Nanami wailed, Kasumi's eyes widening in horror. A soft gasp escaped her as she remained frozen in disbelief. The entire celebration hall fell completely silent, you could even hear a pin drop. All eyes locked into Kasumi and Nanami.

"Nanami, please calm down and explain… We can't understand if you continue to wail" Hideaki pled, approaching the two girls. Nanami pulled away from Kasumi's chest, wiping at her eyes as she sniffed.

"I'm sorry… I'm not sure what's going on… But Haru's been cursed… His body is now in a human form… I had to take him to the surface or he would've died… He's on shore… Father! Please help him!" Nanami explained, pleading as she swam up to their father. He frowned sternly, unsure how to proceed.

"Wait! You said you put him on shore, right?! You didn't do it in human territory, did you!?" Daiki exclaimed, grabbing Nanami's shoulder and forcing her to face him. She nodded.

"I had no choice… It was the closest place, and we could get there easiest… If I didn't get him out quickly, Haru would've died…" Nanami explained. Daiki's eyes widened as Akihiko swam next to him.

"That's gonna be a problem… If he's in human territory, he's probably already been captured by a human, and it'll be almost impossible for us to retrieve him…" Akihiko stated, sighing tiredly. Nanami's eyes widened in shock, looking at them in disbelief.

"W-What…!? F-Father…! I-I…!" Nanami stuttered, fearing she was going to be punished. Her father swam up to her, before smiling gently.

"It's alright Nanami… You haven't done anything wrong… You did the right thing, if you'd taken him anywhere else, he would've died. In human territory he has a chance of surviving under human care. I'm proud of you" he stated, gently putting one of his webbed hands on her head, gently petting it. She blinked in surprise before looking up at him happily. Kasumi approached nervously.

"So what are we able to do Father?" she asked, looking down solemnly. Their father frowned in response before turning to Daiki.

"Daiki, you're the fastest swimmer of my children. Haruka will most likely not be able to communicate with us today due to the curse, but tomorrow I want you to swim up to the surface and try to find him. Wait there all day if you must, knowing Haruka, he will seek out the water, regardless of being able to swim or not" he commanded, earning a nod and salute from Daiki. Akihiko swung an arm over Daiki's shoulders.

"Father, may Daiki and I do this in shifts? I fear for Daiki's strength and speed if he's hungry" Akihiko suggested, earning a nod from the father.

"Smart Akihiko. Very well, I will leave this to the two of you. Report to me after" the father stated, earning nods from all the royal siblings.

(Meanwhile)

Haruka felt heavy. He felt heavy and weird. He tried to shift, but every muscle in his body ached upon the movement. He tried to move his tail, only to feel it brush against his other tail. Realising that wasn't right, he began to stir, opening his eyes slightly before squinting them shut at the bright light above him. Had he died? Was this the light that everyone spoke of upon death? Lifting his hand to try and block the light, he saw no webbing between his fingers. His blue eyes widened in shock, a soft gasp escaping him. He looked down at himself in a panic, seeing some large, soft square over him. He wasn't on the shore anymore, but in some kind of room. Pulling the square away, he saw both of his new limbs, commonly referred to as legs. He glared at them sharply before looking around at his surroundings. Everything was so new and different to him, he had no idea what to make of it. The walls were brown, the floor was brown, and the roof was brown. Everything was just so… brown, even the furniture inside. There were little splashes of colour thrown throughout the room, but mostly everything was a shade of brown.

He had to get out. Haruka knew he had to get out, no doubt his family was going to try and make contact with him soon. He had to be on the shore to do that. Grunting in pain, he managed to swing his new legs over the edge of the soft, bouncy square he had been sleeping on, and attempted to stand. His legs wobbled madly as he tried to push himself up, but he didn't even get to bend his new knees straight before his legs buckled, his body tumbling to the ground with a loud bang. He cursed under his breath, the wind knocked out of him from the fall. His body was still screaming at him in pain, his curse mark on his chest burning. He had to find a way out of this human box. He suddenly heard a creek and turned instantly to glare in the direction of the now opening wall. He gasped quietly as he realised it was the human who had found him on shore. Was he going to torture him? Was he planning on selling him? Or maybe cut him up and eat him? So many thoughts rushed through Haruka's mind as he panicked, sweat trailing down his cheeks.

The human only gasped, babbling more stuff in the human language that Haruka couldn't understand. He rushed to his side, his large hands landing on Haruka's arms, pulling him up from the ground.

"Are you okay?! You shouldn't get up too quickly! I found you passed out on the beach, naked and bloody! What on earth happened to you?" he asked, placing Haruka back on the bed. The human then grabbed something white off the furniture, holding it before him. Haruka raised a brow, caught off guard by this human. Was he… trying to help him? All stories of humans that Haruka had heard had described them as monsters who hunted merfolk for fun, and sometimes even tried to eat their flesh to gain powers and long life. But this human seemed completely content with helping him and even seemed worried. One look in his eyes, and Haruka instantly felt calmer. That was… until the human tried to force the white thing over Haruka's head and then tried to stuff his arms into it. Haruka's eyes widened, his limbs thrashing as he tried to fight back. The human panicked, quickly stuffing Haruka's arms into the sleeves and pulled it down to his waist, sighing in relief. Haruka frowned, looking down at the long, white thing he was forced to wear. He pulled at it, pouting in disapproval. It was heavy, and made him want to scratch.

"Sorry, it's just… I can't have a naked guy running around in my house…" the human apologised, even though Haruka couldn't understand. Haruka pouted up at him, internally screaming at him to take this blasted thing off him. The human's eyes suddenly widened as he seemed to realise something. He lent forward, pointing towards himself, more specifically his lips.

"Can you not understand me…?" he said slowly, practically spelling out his words. Haruka frowned, not liking how close this human was getting. He lent back, trying to get away from him.

"Get away from me human!" he exclaimed, but the human's eyes widened as it sounded like nothing but a bunch of whistles and clicks. His mind flashed back to memories of stories he'd heard from sailors on the port. There was only one common language that consisted of whistles and clicks, and that was those of the merfolks. He simply stared at Haruka in shock, eyes wide as he blinked. Haruka frowned, not liking the sudden silence coming from the human. He wasn't sure how long they remained like that, but suddenly the human jumped up and away from Haruka, dashing out the room quickly. Haruka sat there, blinking in shock as he tried to process what had just happened. Had he caused that? Had the human understood him somehow? Considering this a win for himself, Haruka couldn't help the small smile of pride from forming on his face.

Now he just had to figure out how to get out of here. Attempting to stand again, he managed to stand upright before having to lean on the wall for support. His legs trembled under his weight, unused to the pressure of gravity. He just felt so heavy. At least in the water, he was light and was floating everywhere. That settled it, he had to get back to the water. Gripping the wall, he began to slowly shuffle across the wall to the hole in the wall that the human had left from. He peered inside, blinking to see the human now hunched over a wooden piece of furniture, a weird square thing in front of him. The human seemed to be intently focused upon it, his eyebrows knit together. Was that thing really so interesting? Haruka simply couldn't fathom it. He walked through the hole in the wall, jumping when the ground suddenly squeaked at him. He gasped, staring down at his feet in shock. The human had glanced up at him as well, blinking in amazement at seeing him standing. He stood from his seat, walking over to Haruka. Drat, looks like he wouldn't be able to get away just yet.

"Are you okay to be up already?" he asked, confusing Haruka. Haruka blinked, stumbling back a little as he tried to look at the human in disgust. But when his eyes locked onto the human's kind, green eyes, he couldn't bring himself to do it. The human tilted his head, his dusty brown hair dancing along with his movement. The human was very pretty, Haruka couldn't deny that. When Haruka didn't respond, the human merely beamed him a warm smile. Haruka's eyes widened as a soft gasp escaped him. It was the same smile Nanami wore. He blinked, staring at the human in shock, feeling the pain of missing his family hit him. He missed Nanami. There was hardly a moment they were ever apart, she stuck to his hip like glue. Haruka's eyes began to sting, the bottom of his vision beginning to blur as tears threatened to fall. He swallowed harshly, trying to swallow his feelings. He wasn't going to cry in front of the human, no way in hell, he'd rather die! The human stopped smiling, looking at Haruka in concern. Haruka glanced away, hiding his face in his hair. The human scratched his head, lost in thought. Suddenly an idea seemed to hit him as he gasped happily before pointing towards himself.

"Makoto! Ma-ko-to! Can you say that? Give it a go!" the human exclaimed, pointing desperately to himself. Haruka blinked in shock, looking straight at him before raising a brow. What was he trying to say? And why was he pointing at himself? Wait… was he trying to teach him his name? Haruka huffed, looking away in disgust. He had no need to learn the human's name, nor did he want to. Makoto blinked, no longer as excited as his hand fell slowly. He sighed in disappointment, before chuckling and scratching the back of his head with an awkward smile.

"Sorry… I guess you're not in the mood for learning, huh?" he stated, sighing to himself. He lowered his hands, looking down at the ground with a sad smile.

"I don't blame you… Humans have been terrible to merfolk… I don't blame you in the slightest for hating me… But I want to get to know you… I want to help you…" Makoto stated, his voice sounding so miserable and lonely. Haruka paused, suddenly feeling guilty. This human had been kind to him despite the stories, and he was throwing all of that kindness in his face. He hadn't meant to, but he guessed he was more prideful than he thought. He glanced to the next hole in the wall, this one much smaller. His eyes widened as he let out a gasp. He could see the ocean! Haruka looked towards Makoto, reaching out and grabbing the cloth he was wearing. Makoto's eyes widened as he looked up at Haruka, blinking in shock. Haruka glanced to the window, pointing out to it. Makoto followed his line of sight, then smiled kindly.

"Yeah, I found you there yesterday… You slept for a good whole day… You miss your home, don't you?" Makoto stated, turning back to smile at Haruka. Haruka looked him in the eyes, mentally pleading with him to take him back to the ocean. Makoto stared into Haruka's blue eyes, trying to understand what the merman was asking of him.

"You… want to go to the ocean?" Makoto asked, tilting his head. It was no good, Haruka couldn't understand what Makoto was saying, and no doubt Makoto couldn't understand Haruka. He frowned, wobbling on his feet as he stumbled to the desk, pointing out the window towards the ocean. He turned back to look at Makoto, then nodded his head towards the ocean. Makoto smiled gently, walking to Haruka, before gently lifting a hand and petting Haruka on the head with it. Haruka flinched, jumping back from the contact, eyes wide in fright. Makoto only smiled kindly at him, unfazed by it. He'd wait, he'd wait as long as it took for the merman to get used to him. And he'd do as the merman asked. If he wanted to return to the ocean shore for a bit, he'd take him. He'd already made sure the merman was wearing underwear and his extra big shirt, now all he had to do was help him walk all the way to the ocean.

As they finally approached the ocean shore, Haruka being held up on Makoto's shoulder as he walked, he made sure the merman was steady before gently letting go. Haruka began to slowly walk into the water, wading until the water reached his knees. The water flowed around his legs, the sensation calming. He closed his eyes, embracing the feeling of the water, before inhaling sharply and letting out a loud SOS whistle. Makoto watched from the shoreline, the wind blowing through his hair as he heard the SOS call. He couldn't understand it, it sounded like nothing but a series of whistles to him. It only took a few minutes, but two heads poked out the water's surface, much to Makoto's surprise. He gasped, eyes wide as he watched the three interact.

"Akihiko! Daiki!" Haruka exclaimed, unable to hide the smile of relief from his face.

"Haru! You're alive! Thank goodness, I was afraid we'd have to tell Father we couldn't find you…" Akihiko stated, swimming up to Haruka. Daiki followed suit, looking around for suspicious people before he spotted Makoto.

"Haruka… Is that a human?" Daiki asked, frowning in concern. Haruka glanced back at Makoto, meeting his eyes, before turning back to his brothers.

"Yes, he found me on the shore… I've been in his home, but I can't understand him… He's trying to teach me things… But I think he doesn't mean any harm… He seems worried…" Haruka explained. The two looked at each other before looking back at Haruka.

"Listen, we need to go report to Father what's going on and that you're okay here. Can I have a look at the curse mark?" Akihiko asked, earning a nod from Haruka. Haruka pulled the neck of the shirt down, revealing the curse mark upon his chest. Akihiko's eyes widened, a gasp escaping him.

"Haru… Listen… That's a really powerful curse… I don't think we'll be able to undo it… Not even Father can… You'll have to find the mer who cursed you. We'll search Oceana, you hang tight and try to survive up here. The moment we find the mer who cursed you, we'll come back up and force them to undo the curse. I promise you, we'll save you little brother" Akihiko swore, looking up at Haruka in determination. Haruka swallowed heavily, nodding in return as he pulled the shirt back to normal. Daiki looked back at Makoto, swimming up to him a little, but stopped before he got himself beached.

"Hey, are you the human looking after our little brother?" Daiki asked, seeing Makoto's eyes widen in shock as he ran up into the water towards Daiki.

"Y-You can speak my language!?" Makoto exclaimed, gasping in amazement. Daiki smirked, nodding.

"Yeah, I picked up a bit in my studies. Listen, my little brother Haruka is going to have to stay up here a bit longer until we find out who cursed him. Can you keep him out of trouble?" Daiki asked, knowing this was a big favour he was asking of a human. Makoto nodded immediately, much to Daiki's surprise.

"Of course! We humans owe you merfolk a huge debt from what we did to you. I know my actions won't make things any better, but I'd like to start trying to patch things up between us. I'll look after Haru. Oh, can you tell him my name is Makoto? I tried telling him earlier, but he refused to try and learn… I get the feeling he doesn't like me very much…" Makoto replied, earning a laugh from Daiki.

"Don't let that get you down, he does it to everyone. Thanks Mako, I'll be sure to tell him. Keep our little brother safe" Daiki replied, swimming back up to Akihiko.

"Listen Haruka, that human there Makoto has agreed to take care of you. He's a good human, I can tell that much. Stay with him and don't cause him any problems okay? We'll be back soon, try to hold out till then" Daiki explained, nodding to Akihiko. Haruka nodded in response, feeling a wave of homesickness hit him as he watched them turn to leave. He looked down sadly, his feelings becoming heavy as sadness enveloped him. Suddenly his curse mark began to burn, making his eyes widen as he clutched at his chest desperately, letting out a grunt of pain. The brothers paused, turning back to Haruka before gasping, seeing Haruka hunch over in pain.

"Haru!" Makoto cried out, running up to Haruka and putting a hand on his back supportively. Sweat trailed down Haruka's face, his breaths coming out in short pants as he stumbled.

"Haruka!" the brothers called out, worried, but unable to do anything. The curse mark burned, the pain intensifying as it pulsated. He grit his teeth sharply, trying to bear the pain before the burning soared, the pain reaching his limit. He gasped in pain, throwing his head back in a pained scream as all eyes around him widened, strong arms wrapping around him and holding him up supportively.


	3. Answers Learnt

Makoto watched in panic, feeling the collapsed merman in his arms, as he knelt down and brushed hair from Haruka's face. Haruka's brows were knit in pain, sweat trailing down his face as he breathed heavily, his face twisted in pain. What had caused Haruka's sudden pain? Pulling down his shirt, he gasped upon seeing the curse mark glowing and pulsating. Daiki swam up with Akihiko, observing the curse mark before they gasped in horror.

"His curse is growing! Oh no… We have to find the mer who cursed him, otherwise he'll die!" Akihiko exclaimed, eyes wide in horror. Daiki looked at him in shock before looking back at Makoto.

"Listen Mako! Take Haruka back inside and get him into bed! We're going to try and find the mer who cursed Haruka. This is going to keep happening until we find the mer who cursed him, and the mark will continue to grow in size. If we don't find the mer who cursed him soon, his life will be forfeit!" Daiki explained, seeing Makoto's eyes widen before they locked straight onto Haruka. His breathing became shaky and unstable, Daiki's words spiralling through his head. Haruka would die if the curse wasn't lifted soon?

"Mako! Mako! Can you hear me!?" Daiki exclaimed, shouting to get Makoto's attention. Makoto gasped, looking up at the two merman, startled out of his shock. Daiki raised his brows in worry.

"Are you okay Mako…? Maybe you should get some rest as well… Have you even slept since you took in Haruka?" Daiki asked, concerned for the human's health. Makoto did look like he had bags under his eyes. Makoto remained silent, trying to regulate his breathing. He began to calm down a little, looking back down at Haruka.

"I'm okay… I'm more worried about Haru… But you're right, I need to get him back inside… If you find the culprit, how are you going to let us know?" Makoto asked, looking back up at the mermen. Daiki and Akihiko looked at each other before nodding. Daiki turned back to Makoto.

"I'll do this whistle" he explained, pursing his lips and performing a high pitched whistle, trailing to low, then back to high. Makoto winced, covering his ears in pain as Haruka leant against his knees. Daiki stopped, seeing the state Makoto was in.

"Sorry, I forgot that whistle is painful to humans. But at least you'll be able to tell it's me. Take care of our little brother for us, will you?" Daiki apologised, chuckling sheepishly. Makoto nodded, removing his hands from his ears as he held Haruka up in his arms again. Watching the mermen turn and swim back under the surface, disappearing from sight, he looked back down at Haruka in his arms again. How had Makoto gotten himself into this mess again? Sure, he'd agreed to look after Haruka, and he adored merfolk. He'd been entranced by the story of merfolk since he was a child. He always felt that they were the ones who had been betrayed, and longed to meet one in his life to apologise for what mankind had done. Now that he had his chance, it was proving to be more trouble than it was worth. But despite all the trouble this merman was causing him, he felt the need to protect him. Sighing to himself, he slipped his arms under Haruka's knees and behind his back, lifting him up into his arms.

"How did I get wrapped into this…?" Makoto whispered to himself, standing from the beach floor and began trekking his way back to his house. The merman was still silent and limp in his arms, his face still twisted in pain. Makoto looked down at him, observing his face. Despite the fact that Haruka was in pain, his face was still incredibly handsome. It had a feminine touch to it, a regal splendour if you were desperate enough to say so. If someone told Makoto that Haruka was royal, he wouldn't be surprised in the least. Haruka looked like a handsome prince, the type from fairy tales that would sweep the girl off their feet with a single glance, especially with his gorgeous, ocean blue eyes. If Makoto were a girl, he was sure he would've fallen head over heels for him instantly. Even Haruka's siblings had been insanely attractive. That was something Makoto remembered from his books. They all stated that the merfolk were extremely attractive beings. They sure hadn't been kidding.

Entering his house, Makoto walked up to the bed Haruka had been sleeping in before. He gently laid the merman upon it, pulling the blankets over him, and sighed tiredly. He was so exhausted. He'd been up for over twenty four hours and he desperately needed sleep. But what if Haruka woke when he was asleep? It was just a risk he was going to have to take. He couldn't look after someone else if he couldn't even take care of himself. Sitting down on the floor, leaning over the edge of the bed, he rested his head upon the covers and wrapped his arms under his head. Closing his eyes, he quickly found himself losing consciousness as he drifted to sleep.

(Meanwhile)

"Soon the merkingdom will be mine!" declared the King as he sat upon his throne, a dark smirk on his face. Avalon stood nearby him, smiling up at him.

"Yes it shall, Your Majesty. The young MerPrince will be forced to seek us out, and when he does, he will fall right into your hands. Once you obtain him, the MerKing will be putty in your hands" she concluded, smiling proudly.

Unbeknownst to them, a figure had been standing by the walls, overhearing the whole conversation. He gasped silently, ducking behind the nearby pillar when Avalon's face turned to look in his direction, a sharp glare on her face. He held his breath, his heart catching in his throat as he waited out her suspicion.

"What is it Avalon?" the King asked, seeing her look towards him. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I believe we may have a sleuth nearby…" Avalon concluded, seeing the King's eyes narrow. He stood from his seat, glaring as he scanned the room, listening for any signs of their intruder. After a minute, he smirked and sat back upon his throne.

"Pay it no heed. It is but a mouse sneaking where it is not welcome" he concluded, seeing Avalon look up at him in confusion. The King smirked at her, nodding his head. Her eyes widened before she smiled, knowing who he meant now. The eavesdropper took this as his chance, sneaking along the wall and making it through the door, leaving the room and running down the hallway of the castle. He had a destination in mind, he just had to make it there safely. Turning a corner, he suddenly felt a blast of energy hit him, sending him back several steps as he collapsed to the ground. His head hit the stone floor, making him see stars for several seconds before he opened his clenched eyes, glaring at the source of his sudden headache. Avalon stood before him, smirking down at him.

"Rin, you have some nerve to listen in to our conversation. Just because you're the Prince's knight does not give you the right to eavesdrop on His Majesty. This is your final warning, do it again and I'll turn you into a toad or something more fitting. Maybe I'll turn you into another of my pet monsters, I'm sure I could find a suitable use for your sharp teeth" Avalon taunted, smirking wickedly at the young red haired knight. He glared sharply with his red eyes, moving up to his knees as he grit his sharp, shark like teeth. He really hated this woman. She was so snobbish, vain and powerful. He couldn't forget how powerful she was. He'd seen the monsters she kept as pets, and they could only be described as something from nightmares.

"What have the two of you done? Do you wish to create another war with the Merfolk!?" Rin snapped, growling up at Avalon in fury. She laughed in a seductive way, her eyes narrowing in a flirtatious way.

"That is none of your business Rin. And I would recommend not asking again" Avalon warned, her flirtatious smile turning into a sharp glare. Rin growled in defiance. He really hated bowing to this woman's wiles, but she was the King's royal sorceress, he was just the Prince's knight. Her rank was higher than his. And countless workers in the castle had disappeared over the years, no doubt becoming more of her 'pet' monsters. Everyone in the castle knew how powerful she was, so naturally no one ever questioned her anymore. Avalon saw the defiance on his face, her eyes going dark and emotionless as she walked up to him, leaning down and grabbing his chin in her hand, lifting his head to face her.

"You must not care about a certain someone? I believe you have a little sister located in the village. Her name is Gou, correct?" Avalon warned, seeing Rin's eyes widen in horror as he stared at her. His mouth was hanging agape, his eyes as wide as saucers as his blood froze to ice. She wouldn't…! Yet again, this was Avalon, nothing was beneath her. Avalon saw his reaction, a satisfied smirk forming on her face. She pulled away from Rin, stepping back before folding her arms around herself in a seductive hug, feigning sadness.

"You wouldn't want something terrible to befall your beloved little sister, would you? She might get turned into dust, or set on fire and dropped from the bell tower, or worse, she could end up becoming a meal for my lovely pets" Avalon taunted, seeing the horror flood Rin's face. She smirked, laughing under her breath. She was loving this!

"That's enough! Stop tormenting my knight Avalon! Be gone!" boomed a voice. Avalon gasped quietly, turning to look at the man who stood behind her in the hallway. A young man identical in appearance to the King, only much younger, stood behind her, glaring harshly. Rin gasped, watching the scene in shock. Avalon's amused smirk fell into a disappointed pout.

"Prince Sousuke… My deepest apologies… I'll take my leave" Avalon apologised, bowing her head before a dark mist surrounded her body, crawling up her body slowly before swallowing her completely, fading away as she disappeared from sight. Rin blinked, still wide eyed from the whole encounter, still filled with fear. Sousuke looked down at his knight, walking up to him and kneeling before him.

"Rin? Are you alright?" Sousuke asked, seeing Rin's eyes lock onto him. He blinked, still fearful. Sousuke knit his brows in worry, concerned for his knight. Rin shook his head, desperate to rid himself of his fear, before looking at Sousuke seriously.

"Your Highness, I humbly apologise for troubling you. But I have something urgent to discuss with you" Rin apologised, shifting and bowing deeply to Sousuke. Sousuke smiled gently, nodding his head at seeing his childhood friend recover from his shock. Standing, he watched Rin rise to his feet and begin walking to Sousuke's room. Sousuke followed hurriedly, entering the room after his knight. After closing the door behind him, Sousuke turned to look at Rin, raising a brow.

"So what did you need to tell me?" he asked, walking to the chair in his room and sitting on it. Rin stepped to him, kneeling and bowing his head immediately.

"Your Highness, I happened to hear upon your father and Avalon… I fear what I may have heard…" Rin stated, swallowing the lump in his throat. Sousuke knit his brows, frowning upon the topic.

"My father? What has he done now…?" Sousuke asked, fearing what he was about to be told.

"I fear His Majesty may be provoking a war with the Merfolk!" Rin declared, looking up at Sousuke with fearful eyes. Sousuke's eyes widened, gasping in shock. He jumped from his seat, standing upright.

"What!? My father is provoking the Merfolk!? Damn it! What has Father done now!?" Sousuke yelled, slamming his fist down on the arm of his chair in anger. Rin frowned, looking down sadly at the ground.

"I don't know… They mentioned something about a young MerPrince and the MerKing. I believe they've done something to one of the MerKing's children to lure him out" Rin explained, hearing the gasp of shock from Sousuke.

"My father is an idiot! That man will wipe out an entire nation if he continues this!" Sousuke snarled, clenching his hands into tight fists.

"I'm sorry Rin… I'll make sure Gou is protected, I won't let Avalon harm her. I promise you, as your childhood friend" Sousuke apologised, looking down at his feet. Rin looked up from the floor to look at Sousuke, smiling gratefully.

"Thank you, Your Highness" he concluded before standing, walking to his friend to address the bigger problem at hand.

(Meanwhile)

Knocking on the door made Haruka stir, opening his eyes to see the same ceiling above him again. He blinked, trying to process where he was as he sat up. More knocking on the door caught his attention again, eyes drifting towards the exit. A grumble made him freeze up before looking down at the foot of the bed, seeing Makoto laying half on it in a restless sleep. Did the human give up thing to let him sleep on it and not have a spare? As more knocking filled the room, he glared in slight annoyance, shifting the covers and standing on his legs. He still wasn't used to them very well, so he stumbled and had to brace himself against the wall, but he eventually found the source. The exit of the house was making banging noises.

"Makoto? Are you home?" called out a voice, making Haruka freeze up. The only word he understood was the human's name. Was someone outside looking for him? Approaching the door, he gripped the handle and pulled it open, eyes widening at the person on the other end. Two males stood at the door, one tall with blue hair, purple eyes and red glasses, the second was short, blonde and had magenta coloured eyes. They looked just as confused as he was upon seeing him, blinking in shock.

"Hm? Who are you?" the blue haired male asked. The blonde blinked, wide eyed in playful curiosity. He scanned Haruka before raising a brow in confusion.

"Why're you in just a shirt…?" the blonde asked, catching the blue haired male's attention. He gasped, eyes wide as a soft blush coated his cheeks.

"W-What!? W-Why is Makoto keeping a half-naked male in his house!?" the blue haired male exclaimed, blushing more. Haruka raised a brow, unable to understand either of them. They were very noisy for humans. Knowing that the humans couldn't understand him, Haruka kept his lips pursed together tightly, frowning at them. Footsteps behind him caught his attention as he jumped back, seeing Makoto now standing behind him.

"Haru, so this is where you went. What's all the commotion about? Hm? Rei? Nagisa? What're you two doing here?" Makoto asked, smiling in his goofy way. Haruka frowned, pouting a little as the blue haired male burst into the house, pushing past him and pointing at Haruka accusingly.

"W-What are you doing letting this man walk around your house half-naked Makoto!? Think about what the neighbours will say if they see him!" he exclaimed, continuing to wag his finger at Haruka. Haruka blinked, staring at the finger that was mere inches from his face, before frowning at it. He didn't like being pointed at, least of all by a lowly human. What was he rambling about anyway? Had Haruka done something wrong? All he'd done was open the door to stop them from banging on it. Makoto blinked, having not expected the outburst before he chuckled sheepishly.

"Sorry Rei… It's a long and complicated story… I promise, I'll explain everything, but you have to swear to the upmost secrecy, okay?" Makoto stated, trying to reassure the blue haired male. Rei didn't look very convinced. Haruka glared, he really didn't like this finger pointed at him, and Rei hadn't even seemed to notice Haruka glaring daggers into his head. So, deciding to take action, he opened his mouth, moved a few inches closer, and sunk his teeth into the pointed finger. The following that happened was utter chaos. Rei screamed in a high pitched voice, wailing in pain as Haruka immediately let go, stepping back to avoid the flailing hand. Makoto gasped along with the blonde, Nagisa, and attempted to try and soothe Rei who was clutching his finger and shouting some obscenities.

"Rei!? Are you okay?!" Nagisa exclaimed, rushing to Rei's side and looking at him worriedly. Makoto watched in shock, blinking before looking back at Haruka, who was now unable to hide the satisfied smile on his face.

"Haru… You can't just bite people like that… It's not very nice…" Makoto reprimanded him, standing before him and now wagging his own finger at him. Haruka paused, wondering why he was being told off. The human had been incredibly rude and pointed at him for so long like he was some kind of object. All he'd done was teach him a lesson in manners, and now he was being scolded for it. He pouted up at Makoto, looking away with a huff as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Ne, Mako. Who is this anyway? Why'd he bite Rei?" Nagisa asked, looking up at the two of them as he finished tending to Rei's injury. Makoto sighed, wondering where he should start.

"Like I said, it's a long story. Come on into the dining room and I'll get us all something to eat. I'll explain the whole story while we eat" Makoto stated, turning to give Haruka a short frown of disapproval. Haruka felt a little intimidated by the human's glare, so he decided he'd give in this one time and go wherever he was told to go. After being dragged into another room which consisted of a huge wooden table with several chairs around it, he sat in one of the seats he was assigned. Rei and Nagisa sat on chairs opposite Haruka, who was now feeling a little awkward. Rei was glaring daggers at him, no doubt angry about being bitten. Nagisa was looking between the two of them, a brow raised as he couldn't figure out how to appease the situation.

Finally Makoto entered the room, placing a tray down on the table filled with strange looking human food. Crackers and dip covered the plate, allowing one to simply grab, dip and eat at their leisure.

"Well, now that the food's up, Rei, Nagisa; allow me to introduce Haruka. He's a merman" Makoto stated, beginning his tale of explanation, praying that the two would believe him by the time he was done.


	4. Bonds Established

0+Down in the depths of Oceana, the MerKing paced in his throne room, arms crossed behind his back in worry. He hadn't heard word of his youngest son for a while, and Akihiko and Daiki hadn't returned yet. Nanami had locked herself in her room in worry, Kasumi was fussing at her door and trying to comfort her, and Hideaki had busied himself in his royal duties as Crown Prince. He sighed to himself, frowning as he lifted a hand to rub his brow. The situation was terrible, all he knew was that his youngest son had been cursed, no doubt a play at him. The MerKing had many enemies, the only question was which human had done so?

"Father?" asked a soft voice behind him, making him turn to see Kasumi floating behind him. His expression softened, seeing the worried look on her face.

"Will they find him? I'm getting worried…" Kasumi asked, floating up to him.

"Kasumi… Dear girl… They'll find him… I'm sure" he reassured her, floating up to close the distance before wrapping his arms around her smaller frame, pulling her up to his chest and hugging her tightly. Her shoulders trembled as he hugged her, laying a gentle kiss on her head. He felt her arms lift up and hug his broad, muscled back, clinging to him tightly like he was her lifeline. He gently ran his hand through her golden blonde hair, attempting to soothe her.

"Kasumi… Have faith in your brothers. Akihiko and Daiki will return with news of Haruka soon. For now, we just have to be strong and wait…" he whispered, giving her one final squeeze before gently pulling away to wipe the tear falling down her cheek. Her lip trembled as she looked up with her big green eyes, more tears threatening to fall.

"I'm so worried Father… Haruka has never been away from us for so long before… And he's on the surface, of all places! What if a human finds him!? What if he's hurt!? Oh gods…" Kasumi whimpered, more tears falling down her face. The MerKing looked sadly at her. All these thoughts had gone through his head hundreds of times that day. He cupped her cheeks in his hands, wiping her tears away with his thumbs, smiling gently.

"Kasumi, do not worry… You're like Haruka's mother, aren't you? You've raised Haruka and Nanami since they were young, you should know better than anyone if something happened to him" he reassured her, seeing her eyes widen in realisation. She blinked, her sorrow turning into determination. She nodded, steeling herself.

"You're right!" she expressed, smiling in determination at her father. He smiled proudly, seeing the sadness in her eyes dissolve into strength.

"Father!" called out a chorus of voices, making them both turn to look at the source. Akihiko and Daiki swam in hurriedly, rushing up to them.

"What word do you bring?" the MerKing asked, releasing Kasumi from his hold and turning to face his sons.

"We found Haruka! He's up on the surface, being taken care of by a human called Makoto. This human seems genuinely sorry for the mistreatment we've suffered, so I believe we can trust him" Daiki explained, afterwards being pushed away by Akihiko who was desperate to be heard.

"But we have a bigger problem! The curse on Haruka is worse than we thought! Not even you'll be able to remove it Father! It's gradually growing over his body, consuming him! We have to find the Mer who cursed him and get them to remove it!" Akihiko exclaimed, panic on his face. The MerKing gasped, hearing Kasumi gasp in horror as well. Kasumi rushed up to Akihiko, snatching his arm in her hand and yanking it harshly towards her.

"What!? Haruka's been cursed by someone that powerful!? We have to get him now!" Kasumi exclaimed, panic and grief all over her face. Akihiko lowered his gaze to the floor, sighing sadly.

"I wish we could… But Haruka's been changed into a human form, he can't come down here to the ocean… He'd die…" Daiki explained, calming Kasumi from her fit of grief. She paused, gradually releasing Akihiko from her grip. She lowered her hands, looking down at the ground in sorrow.

"We must treat this situation with the utmost care… We have to find the mer who cursed him as soon as possible!" the MerKing declared, turning to swim away and inform Hideaki of the situation. Kasumi swam back a little, the situation processing through her mind. Her eyes blanked over in her despair, her mind wiping itself.

"I need to inform Nanami…" she whispered to herself, swimming away. Akihiko and Daiki looked at each other sadly, sighing in frustration.

(Meanwhile)

"So that's the whole story…" Makoto concluded, looking up from the table to his two friends. Rei and Nagisa stared at him, wide eyed before they looked at Haruka. Haruka blinked in shock before frowning in disapproval. He really hated being the centre of attention, and hated being stared at more than anything. Rei adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat.

"I-I see… So this is Haruka… a Merman… And he can't understand a thing I'm saying…" Rei stated, repeating it more for himself to understand. It was a difficult thing to process, and an even more difficult thing to believe. Makoto sighed to himself, getting ready for Rei to begin ridiculing, but it never came.

"Wow! A real merman!" Nagisa exclaimed, rushing forward and jumping at Haruka, wrapping his arms around him and hugging him tightly. Haruka's eyes widened in shock as he tensed immediately, staring down at the hyperactive blonde who was laughing excitedly. Had he done something to provoke the blonde? He looked up at Makoto, desperate for answers, but Makoto merely gave him a sheepish smile, instantly earning a glare.

"How very fascinating. A real life merman… Imagine the studies and what I could learn!" Rei declared, pushing his glasses up his face as the light reflected on the glass. Makoto gave Rei a sharp glare in warning.

"Of course I'd never harm him! I merely wish to study the differences between us! It is said they have remarkable magic powers, double our life span and outstanding beauty. Imagine all the extra details I could add to the history books!" Rei declared, waving his arms up madly in a dramatic fashion. Haruka looked troubled before looking down at the blonde who was still clinging to him happily.

"I don't know Rei… It'll have to be Haru's decision. I can't say yes or no for him… And unfortunately he can't understand us…" Makoto explained, looking down sadly at the table. Nagisa pouted, still attached to Haruka's neck.

"You mean he can't understand us, no matter what we try? That sucks…" Nagisa whined, looking up at Haruka sadly. Haruka raised a brow, wondering why the blonde appeared to be pitying him.

"Yeah, I tried teaching him my name… but he just didn't seem interested in learning our language…" Makoto stated, sighing to himself as he grabbed a cracker, putting it into the dip and began eating. Haruka watched curiously as Nagisa finally released him, sitting back. Haruka watched Rei do the same, eating a cracker. He hadn't eaten for hours, and he had to admit he was quite hungry. But this wasn't his usual diet of sea food. Where was a good fish or sea urchin when he needed it? Makoto seemed to notice, gently shifting the plate in his direction.

"Would you like to try it? It must be different from what you're used to eating…" Makoto asked, smiling gently at him. Haruka paused, blinking for a few seconds before he frowned down at the food. Pushing himself forward and leaning over the table, he shakily took a cracker and brought it to his nose, closing his eyes as he sniffed. Rei and Nagisa watched curiously as Makoto only smiled gently, letting him go at his own pace. Everything must've been so new to him, it was only natural for him to suffer a culture shock.

"What are you going to do about work Makoto?" Rei asked, earning his attention as he turned to look at his friend. He smiled sadly at his lap, not knowing how to answer him.

"I don't know… I was thinking of letting my siblings know and getting them to watch him, but they have school…" Makoto stated, sighing to himself. Haruka had brought the cracker to his lips, licking it curiously before blinking in shock. The taste was odd, it had a sharp kick of saltiness, but it wasn't unpleasant. Nagisa had placed his elbows on the table, cupping his head in his hands as he looked at Makoto and Rei.

"Don't you work as a teacher at the church? You teach all the children in the red light district, right?" Nagisa asked, wanting to confirm his friend's job. Makoto had recently started the new job after being assigned it by the church. Makoto smiled up at him, nodding.

"That's right. Those poor children come from families that can't afford to give them a proper education. The church has employed me to at least educate them on how to read and write" Makoto explained, beaming happily at the blonde. Haruka, meanwhile, had bitten into the cracker and was surprised by how tasty it was. It was so simple in flavour, yet irresistible. He ate it hungrily before snatching up several more crackers, devouring them in mere seconds. Rei noticed, blinking in shock before he began chuckling.

"It appears our merman friend likes the crackers" he chuckled, laughing to himself. Haruka frowned up at him, pouting slightly. It wasn't his fault he was so hungry. He'd been asleep for so long due to the curse he hadn't had time to eat. Makoto noticed, smiling to himself as he stood, exiting the room. Rei's laughter subsided, his face falling as he turned to look at Nagisa, adjusting his glasses.

"Nagisa… It might not have been a good idea to mention Makoto's new job… He takes the fate of all those children very seriously and considers it his own burden. He wants to help all of them get out of the red light district, but it's just not possible… By at least giving them the ability to read and write, they may be able to work their way out, or at least that is the church's hope for them" Rei warned, looking down sadly at the table. Nagisa looked down sadly at the table as well, the mood in the room falling instantly. Haruka noticed, lowering his new cracker as he looked at the two of them. They both seemed down, what had caused it? Was it because he'd eaten so many of the crackers? Was he meant to share them with them? Haruka looked down at the plate of crackers, pondering what to do.

"Those poor kids… I would've hated to grow up in the red light district… I couldn't imagine it…" Nagisa whispered, looking miserable. Haruka decided he'd had enough of the dreary atmosphere, pushing the plate of crackers and dip towards the two of them. They both paused, looking at him in confusion. He frowned, nodding down at the crackers before looking back at them and nodding his head again. Nagisa raised a brow as Rei tried to figure out what he was trying to do.

"Are you… offering them to us?" Rei asked, adjusting his glasses again. Nagisa frowned in thought before an idea struck him. He gasped, turning to Rei happily.

"He's worried about us Rei! He's trying to cheer us up by giving us crackers!" Nagisa exclaimed, beaming a happy smile up at Rei. Rei blinked, his cheeks dusted lightly in pink.

"He's… trying to cheer us up?" he asked, looking at Haruka who was glancing back from the crackers up to them and back again. Rei remained frozen in shock for several seconds before he smiled happily.

"Thank you Haruka… We're okay, really. But thank you, I think I will take a cracker" Rei thanked, smiling as he took a cracker and took some dip. Nagisa exclaimed happily, thanking Haruka and began digging into some crackers and dip too.

"What's this? I leave to make Haru a sandwich and I come back to find you all friends!" Makoto teased, grinning as he entered the room and placed a plate with a sandwich on it before Haruka. Haruka blinked at the strange thing, picking it up and raising a brow at its softness. Makoto smiled reassuringly at him, nudging him forward to try it. Haruka sniffed it first, pulling back in confusion. It smelt salty, but also sweet. He took a curious bite, pulling away again in confusion. It was good, but it wasn't what he had been expecting. Raising a brow, he took another bite, this time tasting better. He hurriedly began to eat, his appetite hitting him like lightning. Makoto chuckled lightly, beaming happily.

"Wow… He's really hungry" Nagisa observed, watching the merman eat with gusto.

"Well he hasn't eaten once since I ended up finding him, and that was yesterday sometime I think…" Makoto explained, looking up at the clock on his wall. Rei followed his eyes, seeing the time as well.

"Is it almost time for your job?" he asked, catching Makoto's attention. He nodded, looking back down at Haruka uncertainly.

"I promised I'd look after Haru… But I have to go work…" Makoto pondered before the blonde suddenly cut him off.

"Why don't you just take him with you? It'd be a good chance for him to learn more about the surface by watching the kids" Nagisa suggested, earning all eyes on him. Rei and Makoto blinked at him shock before smiling happily.

"Nagisa! You're a genius! I never thought of it that way!" Makoto exclaimed, relieved and happy. Nagisa grinned happily, chuckling to himself.

"I am a bit of a genius, aren't I?" Nagisa declared, earning an unamused look from Rei.

"Careful Nagisa… Don't go getting a swollen head…" Rei warned, making Nagisa pout. Makoto laughed, watching the exchange. Haruka just watched in confusion, licking the final remains of the sandwich off his fingers. Had something funny happened? He was so lost… He really had to learn some of the language if he was going to keep up at all.

(Meanwhile)

Avalon sat in her study, watching from the crystal ball she had placed on her desk. A purple aura surrounded the ball, soon coating the room in a thick, purple mist. She frowned, looking at different parts of the kingdom, peeking in on people to try and locate the MerPrince. Sure, he was on his way to find her soon, but that was so boring to wait out. If she could locate him and bring him to the King now, the sooner the real fun could begin. She pouted, bored by what she was seeing. She'd mentally scarred herself when she'd peeked into several houses where the people had been bathing or doing something filthy, and she almost considered giving up her search via the crystal ball. But she was determined to at least find out the appearance of her cursed victim.

"How should I bring him out? I could make the town rain extreme lightning for several hours, or I could make a poison mist coat the town. But those are so boring. I know! I'll send one of my pets out to terrorise the town! That'll draw him out and force him to use his magical powers! I can then locate and find out what our young victim looks like!" Avalon declared, grinning darkly as she turned in her seat, looking behind her at the numerous cages filled with monsters. She stood, striding sexily through the room.

"Now… which one of my pets to send out? Hm… How… about… you?" she asked, pointing from monster to monster before she rested before her choice. She grinned darkly, smirking before she burst into maniacal laughter, her eyes wide in madness.

"She's insane!" whispered a voice just outside her door, quickly turning and rushing off, quickly meeting up with the Prince.

"Your Highness! She's planning on attacking the town! She's going to draw the MerPrince out of hiding! What should we do!?" Rin exclaimed, seeing Sousuke turn to gasp at him in shock. His eyes trembled in horror.

"She's doing what!? She plans on attacking the innocent villagers!? Rin! I need you to go down to the town with a brigade of soldiers! Put an end to her plans! Can you do this?" Sousuke declared, wanting to give Rin the option to opt out if he wished. Rin smirked confidently, nodding his head.

"I swear, Your Highness, I will slay the beast and prevent that witch's plans! I won't let her harm a single villager!" Rin declared, bowing deeply to Sousuke before looking back up confidently. Sousuke smiled, reassured.

"Thank you Rin… I leave this matter to you. Don't let me down" Sousuke stated, smiling gently at his friend. Rin nodded in acknowledgement, standing quickly and leaving, determined to keep his word and bring Avalon's plans to a stop.


	5. Monsters in Different forms

Haruka didn't like what he was forced to wear. He was stuck wearing black pants, a belt, a white baggy shirt and tight laced boots. If that wasn't bad enough, he'd been forced to wear a black tight piece of clothing called underwear under his pants. It all felt so weird. Why did humans feel the need to wear so much to cover themselves? Even once they were covered, they felt the need to cover themselves with even more clothes. He just couldn't fathom it. Merfolks covered the bare essentials and that was all. Humans were such a prude species. And now he found himself walking along behind Makoto who had been adamant about him coming along. Why couldn't he just remain at the house? Sure, he didn't know anything there, but he was sure he'd figure it out eventually. He sighed, following behind the giant human who was dragging him by his wrist. He didn't need to be dragged around on a leash, he was perfectly capable of following behind him without getting lost. And just where were they going anyway?

Eventually they stopped, revealing a huge building with pointy tips and a cross shape on the top. Haruka raised a brow, confused at the structure of it. What an odd looking building. He looked at Makoto in confusion, seeing the goofy, apologetic smile on his face.

"Sorry, I need to work now. Why don't you come learn as well?" Makoto suggested, urging Haruka to follow him. Haruka sighed in defeat, following him as they walked through the large, glass stained doors. Haruka gasped instantly, looking around. The place was beautiful, all the artwork on the windows, the beauty of the woodwork and the altar at the end of the room. There were beautiful statues of angels on either side of the altar, similar to the ones Haruka and Nanami had found sunken on the ocean floor. Makoto glanced at Haruka, happily surprised by the fact that Haruka seemed interested in the building. A creaking noise earnt their attention as they turned to see a woman enter the room from the back, dressed in black and white cloths that covered her entire body. The only things visible to distinguish her were her red eyes and red eyebrows. She was quite young in age as well.

"Oh, Mr Tachibana? You must be the teacher the church assigned! It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Gou Matsuoka! The children are so excited to meet you!" Gou stated, smiling gently as she issued for them both to go through the door she'd came from. Haruka blinked, looking at her curiously. She was the first female human he'd met. Did all females cover themselves completely? Makoto elbowed him, issuing for him to stop staring and follow after him. Entering the back room, Haruka blinked in shock at the sudden amount of human children.

"Mr Tachibana? If you don't mind me asking, who's your friend?" Gou asked, raising a brow as she observed Haruka and his odd behaviour. Makoto chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"T-This is my friend, Haruka. He's from a different country and doesn't know the language, sorry. I couldn't just leave him alone, so I thought I'd bring him with me and teach him some of the language while I teach the kids. Seeing all the children learning might make him more invested to learn himself" Makoto explained, only sort of half-lying. The children sat at their seats, looking up at the two males with wide, innocent and curious eyes. Haruka stepped back, slightly unsettled by all the eyes staring at him. Makoto grinned, stepping to his desk and smiled to all the children.

"Right, then I'll begin the lesson! Good morning kids, I'm your teacher Makoto Tachibana. I hope we're going to have a fun and enjoyable year together!" Makoto greeted, earning claps from all the small hands in the room. Haruka glanced at Gou, seeing her smile warmly at him before offering him a chair against the wall. He raised a brow before walking to it and sat on it, looking at her to confirm he'd done what she asked. She was still smiling, so that must've been the right choice. He returned his gaze to Makoto, watching how he interacted with the children. None of the children were wearing fancy clothes like he'd seen many other humans wearing down the street, but instead were almost in rags. How did they let children get into this state? Even he was wearing fancier clothes than they were, making Haruka feel bad as he looked down at himself. He couldn't understand a word of the lesson, but the children were hanging off Makoto's every word. Haruka watched in amazement, seeing the wondrous looks in the eyes of all the children. Gou had also left sometime during the lesson, to do what, Haruka had no idea.

Eventually the lesson came to an end and Makoto dismissed the children to play outside. Haruka watched Makoto stretch his arms, hearing his back crack as he relaxed.

"That was a good first lesson, I think. Come on Haru, let's go out and watch over the kids" Makoto suggested, offering Haruka his hand. Haruka looked down at the hand before accepting it, being pulled to his feet and led outside. The children were all laughing happily, kicking up the fallen leaves from the trees and running around each other. Haruka couldn't help but watch them, realising how similar they were to the children back home in Oceana. There really wasn't much difference between the humans and merfolk after all. Haruka couldn't even believe he was thinking such a thing! Humans had been the ones to betray the merfolk and hunt them down. They were the reason his species had dwindled and been in danger for several centuries. But these children were just so pure and innocent. There was no way he could blame them and label them with the prejudice that humans had earnt.

That was when Haruka noticed one little girl standing off on her own. She was just standing there, staring blankly as the children ran around happily. He raised a brow, stepping away from Makoto and walked up to the young girl, kneeling beside her. She seemed to notice his arrival, looking up at him. Her eyes were still blank and she wasn't focusing on him properly.

"Hm? You're not Mr Tachibana… Can I ask who you are?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle. Haruka had no idea how to respond to her. He didn't even know what she'd said. He remained quiet, deciding that to be the safer option. When he didn't respond, she faced him and gently lifted her hands, cupping his cheeks in her hands. She felt along his face and hair, tilting her head curiously. Just what was she trying to do?

"Oh, Mio. You've met Haruka I see. Haruka, this is Mio" Gou stated cheerfully as she approached them, smiling happily. Mio released Haruka from her hands, turning to face Gou. Haruka looked at her, raising a brow. He was still perplexed by Mio's behaviour. Gou smiled, walking to Haruka before pointing towards Mio. She then covered Haruka's eyes with her hands, making him gasp as all he could see was black. She pulled her hands away before pointing back to Mio. Was she saying that… Mio couldn't see anything? He blinked, wide eyed before looking back at Mio. That would explain her behaviour at grabbing his face like that.

"Mr Haruka? Can you not talk…?" Mio asked, looking at him.

"Haruka doesn't know our language Mio. He can't speak it, he can't understand us, and we won't be able to understand him. So I want you to be nice to him and take care of him, okay?" Gou explained, stepping to Mio and gently petted her head with her hand. Mio smiled happily, a soft blush creeping on her cheeks as she nodded. Gou smiled happily, giving Haruka a smile before she stood to check on the remaining children and Makoto. Haruka looked back at Mio, seeing her offer him her hand. He hesitantly took it, pausing as he noticed the difference between them. Her hand was so much smaller than his.

"Mr Haruka, your hand is big, it's also warm… You smell like the ocean…" Mio whispered, looking at him curiously. Haruka looked down at Mio, pursing his lips together as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"M… Mio…" he whispered, hearing her gasp as her eyes widened in shock. A smile flooded her face just as fast as she gripped his hand tightly.

"My name… You just said my name… Thank you" she thanked, bringing her spare hand up to feel his face. Once she located his cheek, she stepped forward and gently pecked him on the cheek in thanks. Haruka blinked at her, his cheeks dusted pink as he looked at her in shock. She smiled happily, her cheeks still pink. It was then that everything around them suddenly fell into hell.

A piercing scream suddenly caught the attention of everyone at the church as an explosion ripped through the town nearby. Haruka gasped, turning to the source and glaring sharply. When on earth had caused the huge explosion? Mio gasped fearfully, stepping to Haruka and clung to his shirt tightly.

"Okay children! There's no need to panic! Please gather by me! We'll retreat into the building, single file!" Gou declared, rushing the children inside, excluding Mio. She had refused to let go of Haruka's shirt, so he wrapped an arm protectively around her, glaring in the direction of the dust and smoke. Makoto ran to him, pausing when he noticed Mio.

"Mio, you need to go inside! It's not safe out here!" Makoto urged, but she shook her head in defiance. Makoto's eyes widened in shock before he gasped in terror, seeing the cause of the explosion. It could only be described as something from nightmares. It was an enormous rodent-like creature. It screeched, bearing it's fangs as it spotted the three of them. It stepped forward, the ground gradually turning black and a dark mist began to form around them. Makoto gasped, looking around as he tried to figure out what was going on. Suddenly he froze, eyes wide in pain as he gripped the front of his shirt, coughing violently. Haruka gasped, looking at Makoto as he realised what was going on. Mio was coughing weakly against his chest, eyes weary in fear.

"H-Haru…! M-Mio…!" Makoto yelled as he coughed, face twisted in more pain.

"Hey!" shouted a voice as a figure suddenly ran at the monster, striking it with his sword. Makoto and Haruka looked at the person in shock, witnessing the act of bravery. The person was worn down and bleeding from several wounds, but he was still fighting with the strength of ten men. It was then that Haruka noticed he was completely alone.

"You'll pay for killing all my soldiers! I won't let you harm anyone else!" the man declared, yelling as he swung the sword, gasping as it was suddenly caught in the monster's fangs.

"Oh no!" Makoto exclaimed, gasping in horror as the sword suddenly shattered into a thousand pieces. The man gasped, his red hair flying back as he jumped back to avoid the monster's next attack. Haruka looked up at Makoto seeing him shaking in fear. He glanced down at Mio, she was trembling violently and had tears in her eyes. He frowned, gripping her shoulders before he threw her back at Makoto who caught her, looking at him like he was crazy. He stood to his feet, stepping towards the soldier and the monster. He held a hand out to the soldier, blue chains similar to music wrapping around him and forming in his hand. The soldier looked at him, gasping in shock.

"The MerPrince!?" he exclaimed, blinking in shock. He looked no older than he did, and his black hair and blue eyes were beautiful. But what was the MerPrince planning on doing!? Haruka frowned, concentrating the magic in his hand until it was ready.

"Gelidis herba!" he exclaimed, the magic shooting to the soldier and wrapping around his hands. The soldier gasped, looking down as a new sword formed in his hands, this one made entirely of ice. He looked at the MerPrince and saw him nod, reassuring him of what he had to do. He nodded, gripping the sword tightly in his hands before he charged at the monster. He let out a battle cry, swinging the blade down on the monster, hearing its scream of pain. The monster fell to the ground, ceasing all movement. Haruka sighed, letting the magic fade as the ice blade melted to the ground in a big puddle at the soldier's feet.

Makoto watched in shock and awe, unable to believe what he'd just seen. Haruka had just used magic to help that soldier beat the monster. The soldier seemed almost unable to believe it himself. He smirked to himself, turning and walking up to Haruka.

"Well, I'll be! I go to stop that monster from destroying the town, and I find the MerPrince I'm looking for!" he stated, smirking as he walked. Makoto frowned, not liking the way he was talking. Did he know who had cursed Makoto? Was he working for them!?

"Stay away from him! How do you know about Haruka!?" he exclaimed, gritting his teeth in anger. Haruka looked between the two of them in confusion. The soldier stopped, looking at Makoto amusedly.

"I assume you're his babysitter? Name's…" the soldier stated before Gou suddenly cut him off.

"Big brother!" she exclaimed, rushing out the building and running up to the soldier. He gasped softly in shock, preparing himself as she tackled him in a hug.

"Wait… big brother!? Gou, this guy is your brother!?" Makoto exclaimed, wide eyed. Gou smiled happily at him, laughing gently.

"Yes, this is my big brother Rin. He works as a knight to the Prince" Gou explained, grinning happily. Makoto almost couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"So Haruka's a MerPrince? Big brother, why are you after him?" Gou asked, looking up at Rin curiously. Rin sighed to himself, scratching his head.

"I'm trying to protect him… See, I know who's done this, cursed him to human form" Rin explained. Makoto tightened his grip on Mio, lifting her into his arms as he stepped forward.

"You know who did this to Haru!? Who was it!? The Merfolk need to know! This curse is killing Haru, we need to remove it as soon as possible!" Makoto exclaimed, glaring daggers at Rin. Rin blinked at Makoto in shock, having not expected such anger from him.

"I could tell you, but there's not much any of us could do about it… The King's royal sorceress, Avalon, is the cause of this curse" Rin explained, sighing to himself.

"She's much too powerful, there's nothing anyone can do…" he concluded, seeing the look of despair flood over Makoto's face.

"Wait… She's human? The Merfolk said that the curse was from another mer…" Makoto whispered, feeling Mio cling to him.

"Merfolk…? MerPrince…? Mr Tachibana? What're those?" Mio asked, looking up at Makoto curiously. Haruka watched the whole situation, seeing everyone interact with each other before turning to look at the slain beast. Stepping towards it, he knelt beside it and inspected it. It really was hideous, whatever it was.

"So this Avalon person sent this monster after Haru?" Makoto asked, stepping closer to Rin and Gou as he carried Mio. Rin nodded in reply.

"That's right, she wanted to draw him out to try and locate him. No doubt she's figured out what he looks like. She's going to keep sending more powerful beasts after him until he comes to her. That's also the intent of this curse, she's forcing him to come to her" Rin explained, sighing as he thought of what to do now.

"So Haruka needs to go to the castle to get the curse removed?" Gou asked, tilting her head curiously. Rin sighed again.

"I wish it was that simple… The moment he steps into that castle, Avalon is going to capture him and use him as a bargaining chip to get the MerKing's power. It's the King's plan as well" Rin explained. Makoto gasped in horror.

"So we don't even have the kingdom on our side?" he asked, his voice trembling. Rin nodded sadly.

"But we do have Prince Sousuke on our side, so we're not completely defenceless" Rin declared, grinning proudly. Makoto's eyes lit up upon his words.

"Prince Sousuke? Thank goodness…" he sighed, hugging Mio closer to himself as she listened to the conversation curiously.

"But what do we do about Haruka in the meantime?" Gou asked, looking back at Haruka who had turned to look at them all. They were speaking so seriously, no doubt about him. It was then that he noticed the look of horror on Gou's face as she suddenly screamed. He turned back to look at the monster behind him, gasping as it's body began to melt and move around, merging into a new form. What kind of monster was this? He jumped back a step, eyes wide as he watched it grow in shape. It changed into a bulky, chimeric, phantasmal monster. Haruka watched in horror as it suddenly grabbed his ankle in a slimy tentacle of his, lifting him off his feet and dangling him in the air.

"Haruka! Haru!" cried out a chorus of voices as Haruka looked at the monster, the blood rushing to his head. It growled, swinging him a little before it threw him with propelling force, straight into the wall of a building. Haruka's eyes widened as the wind was knocked from him, blood escaping from his mouth. His head and body ached as his body crumpled to the ground, movement sapped from him. Makoto watched in horror, eyes wide and trembling.

"Haru… Get up… HARU!" he shouted, witnessing the black haired male cease moving.


End file.
